Badass Women at Any Age

Jodi Silverman's personal journey began with the realization of an impending empty nest as her children prepared to leave home. Finding herself with a significant amount of free time, Jodi recognized that her current work in her print business was not fulfilling. Her decision to remain open to new opportunities led her to a business opportunity in direct sales, which eventually sparked her passion for personal development and coaching. Through facing her own fears, doubts, and limiting beliefs, Jodi discovered her ability to inspire and guide other midlife women. This transformative experience culminated in the creation of her DARE Method, aimed at helping women to embrace their new freedom, rediscover their passions, and live fulfilling lives beyond motherhood.   What You Will Hear in This Episode:    02:03 Jodi's Personal Journey and Realizations 04:15 Overcoming Limiting Beliefs and Fears 08:35 Creating a Business from Personal Growth 12:00 Common Challenges of the Empty Nest 13:23 Navigating Friendships A

Illana Raia's journey to entrepreneurship stemmed from her love of law and her personal experiences with mentorship. Despite loving her career as a mergers and acquisitions lawyer, she took a break to raise her children and later rejoined her firm. Realizing the impact of showing her daughter accomplished women at work, Illana envisioned scaling this experience to benefit other girls. She left her law practice, driven by the idea of creating a platform where girls could meet female leaders, leading to the founding of Etre.  Illana is the founder and CEO of Etre, a membership platform for girls believing that mentors matter as early as middle school. Illana brings girls directly into companies they choose to meet female leaders face to face.  Raia's National Research on the current state of girls confidence in 2022 and 2024 has been featured by Forbes, CBS News, Yahoo Finance, and Nasdaq, and the most recent 2025 research was conducted in partnership with Hello Sunshine and launched at Cannes. Illana is Chair

Helen Jonsen aspired to be a writer from a young age and chose journalism for its daily writing opportunities. After studying at Fordham University and gaining experience at Channel 11 and WINS radio, she moved to Rhode Island as a senior producer, where she met and married her Australian husband. This led to a stint in Australia, where she worked in television before returning to New York. They worked for Australian networks before she joined Channel 5. After her first maternity leave, she opted to form a production company with her husband, eventually returning to Channel 11 and writing several books, including 'Kangaroo's Comments and Wallaby's Words: The Aussie Word Book.' Helen is a communication strategist and media executive with a career that includes journalism, digital innovation, public service, and nonprofit advocacy. Through her firm, Helen Jonsen Media, she assists leaders and organizations in amplifying their voices with strategic storytelling, speaker training, and modern communication tools.

Bianca Best's lifelong pursuit of ambition led her from a corporate career in advertising, creativity, and publishing to a successful freelance writing career. While juggling motherhood in her late 20's, she inadvertently founded the Bespoke Gift Company.  What started as a creative, personalized anniversary gift has become a wildly successful company.  Bianca is an award-winning global business leader, author, certified success strategist, entrepreneur, speaker, and single mother of four. Bianca describes her CV as a chronology of passions, explored and includes a decade as a tech-preneur running the bespoke gift company, which pioneered the personalized gift industry forever. A decade of corporate ascendancy running vast digital divisions of the world's largest CommEd conglomerates certifying in healing modalities. From hypnotherapy to executive coaching to her international impact, inspiring the working world through her keynotes, workshops in organizations like Google and Amazon. Her organization, Bianca

Sandy Rosenthal was an ordinary citizen who became an extraordinary activist following Hurricane Katrina. After uncovering that defective flood walls built by the Army Corps of Engineers caused the disaster, Sandy founded the nonprofit levees.org and rallied over 25,000 supporters for safer infrastructure. Her book, 'Whispered in Water,' and her podcast, 'Beat The Big Guys,' continue to inspire change and empower listeners to take on powerful institutions and make a difference in their communities. Sandy shares her journey from a part-time copywriter to a relentless advocate for truth and accountability, highlighting the power of community mobilization and persistence.    What You Will Hear in This Episode   00:21 Meet Sandy Rosenthal: Uncovering a Scandal 02:08 The Day the Levees Broke 04:41 Life After the Disaster 09:51 Fighting Back: Founding Levees.org 12:33 Facing Harassment and Legal Battles 17:35 The Aftermath and Lessons Learned 21:22 Mobilizing Communities and Partnerships 33:03 Conclusion and Call t

 Feeling lost and purposeless when her youngest child left for college, Rita Lussier leaned into her writing and running to cope.  Forming a new morning routine along with the process of running and writing helped her find a new sense of purpose, culminating in the creation of her book, And Now Back To Me.  Rita is an award-winning journalist and writer whose column  'For The Moment' was a popular feature of the Providence Journal for a dozen years. Her writing has also been featured on National Public Radio in the Boston Globe, the New York Daily News, and many other publications. Rita enjoys coaching writers, conducting workshops, and has worked as a publicist and editor. She's taught at both University of Rhode Island and Rhode Island College.   What You Will Hear in This Episode 01:12 Rita's Journey: From Empty Nest to Published Author 03:37 The Healing Power of Writing 05:04 Navigating Midlife Changes and Empty Nest Syndrome 06:51 The Emotional Rollercoaster of an Empty Nest 09:34 Finding New Purpose and

Marcia Dawood's journey into angel investing began in 2012 when she attended an angel investing meeting in Pittsburgh. Previously working in sales, marketing, and operations within corporate America, she was intrigued and fascinated by the world of entrepreneurship and investing in early-stage companies. Initially unaware of the opportunities that existed locally and globally, Marcia quickly immersed herself in the field. Overcoming the misconceptions that one needs a finance degree or significant wealth to invest, she discovered that anyone with curiosity and willingness to learn could participate.  Marsha is the author of Do Good While Doing Well, Invest For Change, Reap Financial Rewards, and Increase Your Happiness. She's currently working on a new book. Unapologetic Wealth, and she's also an associate producer on the award-winning documentary. Show Her the Money.  She's a TEDx speaker, host of the Angel Nextdoor podcast, and she really walks the talk and holds investments in over 50 early stage companies

Yue Zhao's career began with aspirations rooted in a desire to help people, initially thinking she would become a doctor. However, her path led her into the tech industry, where she spent over 15 years as a product executive in Silicon Valley.  Discovering the power of executive and leadership coaching became a pivotal point in her career. Inspired by her experiences and driven by her commitment to support underrepresented groups, Yue transitioned from a tech executive to a full-time executive coach. She now focuses on advancing the careers of women and minorities by leveraging her unique insights and personal journey. Through her Substack newsletter, "The Uncommon Executive," and her coaching work, Yue shares valuable lessons on leadership, overcoming challenges, and creating more inclusive workplaces. Yue has coached hundreds of aspiring executives since 2016, is an instructor at Reforge and Maven and is the author of the Uncommon Executive: Breakthrough to the C-Suite as a Minority. She's also been a VC ba

Kathy Caprino began her professional journey with ambitions of working in publishing. However, she soon found herself navigating a corporate career filled with numerous challenges as she climbed the corporate ladder.  After a period of deep reflection, Kathy embraced her calling ultimately leading her to become an international career leadership and personal growth coach. She utilized her experiences and lessons learned to guide mid to high-level professionals toward achieving their highest potential.  Kathy is a writer, speaker, and executive trainer helping mid to high level professionals advance, thrive and reach their highest, most rewarding potential. A LinkedIn Top Voice and former corporate VP,  she's also a trained therapist, seasoned executive coach and a senior Forbes contributor and sought after media source on career issues. Kathy has authored two books, her latest is The Most Powerful You: Seven Bravery Boosting Paths to Career Blitz  is also a training course for individuals and organizations th

Emily June Wilcox grew up in rural Michigan with aspirations of becoming a veterinarian, earning a degree in animal science. Her early career took unexpected turns, from horse training to pharmaceutical sales and eventually entrepreneurship.   Emily is a wealth and business coach, number one bestselling author and speaker on a mission to help others heal their money wounds and build financially and personally fulfilling lives. She's built two seven figure businesses, an  e-commerce clothing company and an Amazon marketing agency.  Now she focuses on using energetics and strategy to help women build their femme powers and walk the joyous path to millions. Emily hosts a top 2% global podcast, The Joyous Path to Millions, and her work has been featured in more than 400 major media outlets including A-B-C-N-B-C, Fox Associated Press and the Wall Street Times.    What You Will Hear in This Episode:  02:28 Emily's Journey 08:30 Money Wounds Explained 12:37 Impact of Money Wounds on Women 12:57 Strategic and Energet

Growing up in a family that didn't view a career in the arts as feasible, Kathryn Burnett pursued writing with determination, transitioning from magazine articles to professional screenwriting. She faced numerous challenges, particularly in a competitive industry that often overlooks middle-aged women. Post-menopause, Kathryn experienced a personal transformation, embracing her true self and taking greater creative risks. This shift led to a focus on complex, authentic female protagonists, inspired by real-life experiences and conversations. Her writing now champions strong, relatable women, pushing back against clichéd portrayals. Kathryn emphasizes the importance of defining personal success, trusting oneself, and not fearing failure. In addition to her creative work, she shares her insights through coaching writing and her book, 'The Productive Writer Guidebook.' Kathryn continues to explore new projects, driven by her passion for storytelling and commitment to depicting multifaceted female characters.   

Inspired to push back against gendered ageism,  Stella Fosse  began writing vivid, sexy stories about older women inspired by an article by a 50-year-old romance writer in the New York Times that pushed her to challenge industry norms that favored younger characters.  Her involvement in a local writing series called "Dirty Old Women," where women over 50 read erotic stories to live audiences, further solidified her mission. Through her experiences in online dating in her 60s and meeting her partner at 62, Stella drew inspiration for her novels, including her first book, "Brilliant, Charming Bastard," and her later works centered on older women.  Stella Fosse spent many years as a technical writer in biotechnology, managing a demanding career while raising her four children. Upon retiring, she pursued her passion for storytelling. Stella continues to empower and encourage women over 50 to share their vibrant stories and creativity through her books, workshops, and blog.   What You Will Hear in This Episode:  0

Rebecca "Becky" Faye Smith Galli's life is marked by resilience despite profound losses. She faced significant challenges, including the death of her brother, her son's degenerative disease and death, her daughter's autism, a divorce, and her own paralysis from transverse myelitis.  Despite these challenges, Becky has found strength and purpose through writing which led her to a writing career, authoring books and columns that inspire others with messages of love, loss, and healing. Becky's story highlights the importance of honesty, support systems, and finding positivity and purpose amidst adversity.  Her career began with a column in the Baltimore Sun, which evolved into a prolific writing journey. She has authored books such as "Rethinking Possible" and "Morning Fuel," which reflect her belief that life can still be good despite difficult circumstances. Her column, "Thoughtful Thursdays," continues to inspire her readers with lessons on resilience and positivity.   What You Will Hear in This Episode:  02:

Through her own journey of healing from multiple traumas, including an abusive relationship, Elyssa Smith studied and developed methods to hack the survival brain, rewiring the limiting beliefs that were keeping her stuck.  Elyssa is a trauma informed life strategist who helps female executives, entrepreneurs, and professionals squash their limiting beliefs and heal from hidden trauma so they can stop playing small and get to their next level.  As a nervous system regulation and mindset mastery expert, she now gets to equip other women with tools and techniques that not only saved her life and skyrocketed her business, but will actually reprogram their brains to unleash their wildest potential for unprecedented success and happiness. Elyssa has been featured in Forbes, she's been on the TEDx stage, and is a regular contributor on Fox 59 Morning News.    What You Will Hear in This Episode:  02:33 Elyssa's Personal Journey of Healing 04:43 The Impact of Hidden Trauma 06:53 Lessons Learned and Overcoming Self-Sa

Lori Duff's journey began with strong academic success, which led her parents to steer her towards law school. Initially focused solely on her legal career, Lori truly discovered her love for creative writing after a challenging election loss in 2012. This moment of introspection prompted her to start blogging, humorously chronicling her husband's antics, which then evolved into a more public writing career. Lori is a lawyer, a judge, and an award winning writer.  She's a past president of the Georgia Council for Municipal  Court Judges, and the National Society of Newspaper Columnists.  A two time winner of the Georgia Bar Journal's Annual Fiction Competition, she also won the Forward Indies Gold Medal for Humor,  and the National Society of Newspaper Columnists Annual Column Contest, and many other awards for her work.  Her new novel,  Devil's Defense, is a finalist in the American Book Fest Best Book Awards in General Fiction and Thriller Adventure categories and her novella, Broken Things, won the Georgia

Linda Descano's personal journey is an inspiring tale of resilience, adaptability, and unwavering determination. Raised in a traditional Italian Catholic family in South Philadelphia, Linda was instilled with the importance of education by her parents despite their lack of formal schooling. Influenced by strong, hardworking women in her family, Linda embraced the idea that she could be anything she wanted to be—that nothing could hold her back.  Linda is a certified financial advisor. She is now global Chief Integration and Marketing Officer for the Havas, Red Network, a Merge Media agency micro network within the Havas group.  In addition to overseeing the agency's global marketing and thought leadership activities, Linda provides communications counsel to clients across multiple industry sectors and stages of growth on brand reputation and corporate communication strategies and tactics.  This is not Linda's first career, she shares her inspiring story about her journey. Full disclosure, I met Linda years ag

Terry Tateossian spent the majority of her adult life in a corporate environment, as an entrepreneur and business owner, all while struggling with significant weight issues. After failing with numerous diets and experiencing serious health scares, she realized that her problem wasn't physical but emotional. By addressing her emotional eating and adopting a holistic approach involving strength training, nutrition, and mindset, Terry managed to break free from the weight gain-loss rollercoaster. Today, she helps other women regain their confidence, ignite their well-being, find their true purpose with strength training, nutrition, and mindset through her ventures House of Rose and THOR Retreats where individuals can kick start their journey into wellbeing on their own while surrounded by the magnificent Cherokee National Forest and Smoky Mountains. Terry has been recognized as Inc. 5000's fastest growing company in America in 2020, Inc. 2020 Best Places to Work, New Jersey Biz Top 40 Under 40, Future 50 Fastest

Jamie Mittelman was inspired to live life with passion and fervor after experiencing the loss of her father.   A lover of sports and a deep believer in the power of stories to change lives, Jamie found her passion and purpose  in elevating women’s stories at the highest level of sports.  Jamie is the founder and host of Flame Bearers, a platform dedicated to celebrating and sharing the stories of elite women athletes. With a master's degree in public administration from Harvard and seven years of experience in both the corporate and nonprofit communication sectors, Jamie is a passionate advocate for gender equity in sports. Throughout her life, sports have been a source of joyous, challenging, and defining moments, shaping her commitment to elevating diverse voices and inspiring people of all ages with powerful stories of perseverance and achievement.    What You Will Hear in This Episode:  01:56 Jamie’s Journey and Mission 11:42 The Future of Women's Sports 15:57 Challenges of Female Athletes 30:43 Where to

  Faith Roswell began her career unexpectedly when she was approached by a talent scout while studying for a degree in creative writing. This encounter led her to become an internationally recognized artist model. During her modeling career, Faith wrote extensively about her solo travel and adventure experiences. Her journey took a significant turn after blowing the whistle on a dangerous photographer who was later jailed. She began to look into what she could do to help freelancers, especially in creative industries, stay safe and she soon found that most of the self defense classes focused on the physical fighting which barely scratched the surface of what else was possible.  Faith was inspired to develop a new approach called Armor for Life.  Saith has recently been working as a researcher for one of the most popular true crime podcasts online.   As a freelance writer, she specializes in travel, film, self defense, and women's rights.    What You Will Hear in This Episode:  01:50 Faith's Journey to Becomin

 Wendy Wallbridge is a pioneer in the coaching field and a rare talent for creating cultures of belonging.  Diagnosed with life-threatening lupus early in her career, Wendy used that experience and her journey back to health to explore what it means for women to live true to their values, feminine wisdom, their unique calling.  Her singular brand of coaching defined by her Spiral Up model empowers women to become architects of their own lives by following a radically different roadmap to success. The founder of Spiral Up and the Women's Evolutionary Leadership Forum of Silicon Valley, she is the award-winning author of Spiraling Upward, the Five Co-Creative Powers for Women on the Rise.  Her spiral up clients have included Dolby Intel, HP, Apple, Oracle, ABC, and Disney among others. A former producer of TEDx Sandhill Road Women, she's spoken at UCBerkeley Haas School of Business, the Professional Business Women's Conference, Texas Conference for Women, and TEDx.  She's also been profiled by Fortune and the N